An excerpt from "A Time For Everything"

           "A few scenes of interest."

              © Chris Clark Davidson

         (From the Prologue)

	He shook himself out of his cogitative state and concentrated on the final 

preparations. He tightened his harness one more notch. The control panel was right in 

front of him but he hesitated, staring at it for a moment. He had been monitoring the

pre-travel warm-up. Then he fired up the ignition switches in sequence and clenched his 

jaw determinedly. He was leaving.

	He set the counter to her time and hit execute. After a sudden burst of

speed and light, he slowly faded away.



   ********************************************************************


         (From Chapter Sixteen)


   	Marc woke with the birds, dressed quickly, and drove to the bakery. He 

wanted this day to be perfect. Breakfast muffins to go with the special blend of  

coffee he brought would be a great start. He intended to spend the whole day  

with Lily, teach his last class, and then, sadly, travel forward to his own time.

	She greeted him at the door with a big hug. “Good morning, Marc 

Honey.”

	“Morning.” He handed her the coffee. “And I brought breakfast, too, 

milady.”

	“Mmmm fantastico. C’mon, let’s get this stuff brewing.” Lily bore a 

more cheerful countenance then she felt inside. She was sure he would be 

leaving today.

	“Lily,” he began, “would you like to go with me to pick out a new 

watch? I really could use your advice on a good, sturdy timepiece. Not just 

any one will do... I need one that will exist for at least a hundred years.”

	“A hundred years?” Lily echoed, mystified. “Whatever for? Are you 

thinking about starting an heirloom?”

	“I’ll tell you all about it when I return.” He took her hand in his, 

and gave it a gentle squeeze. “So do you want to go?”

	“Sure.”

	They spent the whole morning searching store after store. But for one 

reason or another, Marc just was not satisfied with the watches on display he 

had seen.

	Finally, he found one that both he and Lily favored. It was an 

old-style engineer’s watch and it was ideal for the purpose Marc had in 

mind.

	Lily smiled her approval as he purchased it. But while he handled the 

monetary part of the deal, Lily became distracted and drifted away briefly to 

another case on the other side of the store. Taking advantage of her absence, 

Marc quickly purchased another item he had his eye on, and was able to sneak 

the case into his pocket before she returned.

	He chuckled softly over the sheer timing of the whole covert 

operation, and the jeweler winked conspiratorially. So by the time Lily 

returned to where he stood, it was a done deal.

	“All set?”

	“Yes, I do believe I have found exactly what I was looking for.” He 

smiled down at her, his heavy spirit lifting for the moment.

	It was lunchtime, so Marc took her to an elegant Italian restaurant, 

where they dined and talked for a while. Then when they finished, they took a 

long walk in the park. While there, Marc pulled out a small camera and asked a 

passerby to snap their picture. He readily agreed and they posed for several 

frames.

	They did a little bit of everything that day, and were saddened when 

the daylight began to wane.

	Marc took Lily home and promised to be back as soon as his class was 

over. Then he drove to his shop and taught the final lesson. When it was 

over, he reminded them about the secondary course and many signed up for it. 

Soon he bid them goodbye and returned home to find his lady.

	She greeted him on the porch and they went inside to sit on the sofa. 

Marc took both her hands in his and told her softly, “I hope you know how much 

I love you. You—and you alone—are the only reason I am here. And as soon as I 

can possibly arrange it, I will be back with you again.” He sighed. “I must 

leave you tonight… but I think you already know this.”

	Lily nodded sadly. “Yes… I know, Marc… I could tell.”

	He pulled a little case out of his pocket. “Honey, when I get back, I 

will have something very important to ask you. But in the meantime...” He 

opened the case, and explained, “I have something to link us together in a way 

that will span space and time no matter how near or how far apart we are.” His 

smile was bittersweet. “Here is a heart that is in two parts. Together it is 

whole and complete but apart it is a symbolic reminder that we need to be 

joined together again soon. While we are separated I hope you will keep my 

heart safe, just as I will keep yours.”

	Lily’s fingertips caressed the heart, and her eyes filled to the brim 

with unshed tears. “Oh Marc, I will... for always.”

	He leaned down to brush her lips with his then finished with, “The 

rest of this scenario is… we will both wear one of these chains with half a 

heart. And when we are reunited, our hearts will be as one again.”

	“Oh Marc,” Lily said again, as she felt him place the chain around her 

neck. 

	He leaned down to kiss her near the clasp of the chain. Then he 

whispered huskily, “You have my heart. You always have had my heart. And this 

I promise you... I will be back before you know it.”

	She turned and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as 

she could. Marc returned her embrace, never wishing to let go. They both knew 

he would be leaving soon, though.

	Lily picked up the case and took out the second part of the heart. She 

gently kissed it then carefully placed the chain around his neck. When she 

hooked the clasp, he turned to face her and she gazed deeply into his eyes. 



	“Now you have my heart, too…” she told him, “and please… please come 

home to me as soon as you can.” 

	She slid back into his embrace, and he kissed her with all the emotion 

she stirred in him. Lily clung to him tightly, returning his kiss with the 

same fervor. She pressed totally against him, wanting to be as close as 

possible.

	“Lily...” Feeling every part of her pressed against him caused his 

senses to run wild. It actually scared him just how much he needed this 

woman.

	She took him by the hand and led him outside into the cool night air. 
	Marc closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He exhaled then breathed 

deeply again. When his head cleared, he turned and gazed deeply into her eyes, 

searching for the stars again. He found them and they blazed so brightly for 

him, he felt like he could almost reach the heavens.

	“Do you know what you do to me, woman?”

	“I’m beginning to understand.”

	“We need to have a very serious conversation when I return.”

	“I agree, Marc. We do.”

	He had much more to say and very little time left before he needed to 

travel that evening, so he spoke quickly. “Honey, you must promise me you 

won’t let Reed anywhere near you. But if for some reason he finds you anyhow, 

please immediately inform the local law enforcement officers.”

	“All right, Marc, I promise. If he shows up, I’ll call the 

police.”

	“One more thing, about this watch...” He placed it in her hand. 

“Please keep it for me until I return. And I would greatly appreciate it if 

you would stash it in the hidden compartment of your father’s desk. Would you 

do this for me?”

	“Well… sure...”

	“Thanks Honey. And please... leave it there no matter what. Okay? I 

will explain it all when I return.”

	Lily agreed but was totally confused by his words.

	Marc walked her back to her door, and kissed her one more time. Then 

he waited as she went inside. “Lock the door now, please. Take good care of 

yourself, Milady, while I’m gone.”

	“I will, Marc.”

	“Farewell, Lily.”

	“Goodbye, my love.”


   ********************************************************************


Chapter Seventeen

	Marc took a long last look across the meadow toward Lily’s home, sighed 

deeply then climbed into his traveling conveyance. He strapped himself in securely, 

tightening the belts to the furthest notch he could. The panel that contained 

the control switches was open in front of him, and he monitored the pre-travel 

warm-up. He fired the ignition switches in sequence then checked the gages. He 

set the counter for one month after his initial departure, even though it had 

been much longer span. The reason being he would have less of an explanation to 

produce, should he have the misfortune of being discovered upon his arrival.

	He closed his eyes, saying a quick silent prayer then hit execute. After 

a sudden burst of speed and light, he slowly faded away.